Soapbox:

Border issues

By Nabil Zaki

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What happened on the Gaza-Egyptian border was a turning point for everyone, including the Israelis. I disagree with those who say that the opening of Rafah's border would lead to Gaza being separated from the West Bank, or that it is an Israeli conspiracy to settle Palestinians in Sinai. It is simply a new uprising, an uprising of the hungry and the dispossessed.

Egypt couldn't close the border in the face of marching Palestinians, for it couldn't risk becoming a partner in crime with Israel. The opening of the border didn't make Gaza less Palestinian, but it made Israel look absurd.

A new border system is needed -- one that is not run by Israel, but rather by Egypt and the Palestinian Authority. Of course, Hamas may protest on the pretext that it has been left out. But Hamas cannot go on giving Israel the kind of excuses it savours. Hamas cannot keep firing off homemade rockets at Israel when it knows that this means punitive strikes by the Israeli army and an impasse in peace efforts.

Hamas had its day, its validation when it took control of Gaza, but enough is enough. Pride is not more valuable than national aspirations. The Palestinians should forget about their squabbles and put together a unified Palestinian command. Then they should ask the UN to take charge of Palestinian territories until the new state is formed. Many Palestinians, having lost confidence in their leaders on both sides of the divide, wish for exactly such an outcome.

Israel is trying to weaken Mahmoud Abbas while clobbering Hamas. Don't let it succeed. Let's use the momentum of recent events in Rafah to end Israel's control of Gaza's borders. As for Egypt, it has a responsibility towards Gaza and cannot afford to shirk it.

This week's Soapbox speaker is former editor-in-chief of the left-wing newspaper Al-Ahali.